1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an activation device for activation of an electronic delay box such as is used in vehicle drag racing.
2. Background Information
In basic terms, a drag race is an acceleration contest from a standing start between two vehicles over a measured distance at a specifically designed drag race facility. The accepted standard for that distance is either a quarter mile or an eighth mile. These contests are typically started by means of an electronic device called a “Christmas Tree”. Upon leaving the starting line, each contestant activates a timer that is stopped that contestant's vehicle reaches the finish line. The start-to-finish time is the vehicle's E.T. (elapsed time), which serves to measure performance and often serves to determine handicaps during competition.
A popular form of drag racing is a handicapped form of competition known as “E.T. Bracket Racing”. In this form of racing, two vehicles of varying performance potentials can race on a potentially even basis. The anticipated elapsed times for each vehicle are compared, with the slower car receiving a head start equal to the difference of the two. With this system, virtually any two vehicles can be paired in a competitive drag race.
For example, a car A has been timed at 17.78, 17.74, and 17.76 seconds on a given quarter mile track, and the car A driver feels that a “dial-in” of 17.75 seconds is appropriate. Meanwhile, a car B has been timed at 15.27, 15.22, and 15.26 seconds for the same quarter mile track, and the car B driver has opted for a “dial-in” of 15.25 seconds. Accordingly, the car A will get a 2.5 second lead start over the car B when the “Christmas Tree” counts down to each car's starting green light.
If both vehicles cover the quarter mile distance in exactly the predetermined elapsed time, the win will go to the driver who reacts the quickest to the starting signal. That reaction to the starting signal is called “reaction time”. Both lanes are timed independently of one another, and the clock does not start for a given vehicle until the vehicle actually moves. Because of this, a vehicle may sometimes appear to have a mathematical advantage in comparative elapsed times, but actually lose the race. This makes starting line reflexes extremely important in drag racing.
The “box” as it is usually called, is an electronic device to aid the driver. A driver can “dial a number into the box, called the delay. Usually used in conjunction with a transmission brake and two-step, a driver can hold down a button mounted on a steering wheel, activating the transmission brake and the two step, and then let go of the button the instant the driver sees the first flash of amber from a first bulb of the “Christmas Tree”. The delay box will then count the thousandths of a second dictated by the driver and then release the transmission brake and two-step.
A driver can adjust his reaction times by changing the number dialed into the delay box. The theory is that a driver instinctively reacting to an initial signal (the first amber) will be quicker and more consistent than a driver that must train himself or herself to wait for the third amber light. This is indeed often the case, making the “box” a controversial, but legal, tool in many classes of competition.
Current art is that delay boxes use a pushbutton to activate. The pushbutton is usually mounted on the vehicle steering wheel or floor, close to the driver of the vehicle. The driver holds the pushbutton down with a thumb or a finger, until it is time to release the button. The driver then releases the button as quickly as possible, usually by jerking a hand away, using mostly the arm bicep muscles.
As will be seen by the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention overcomes shortcomings of prior art.